This invention relates to a motor vehicle having an air guiding device, preferably a one piece air-guiding device attached to the vehicle on the bottom side in front of the wheels, with air-guiding channels used to direct air for cooling the brakes.
This type of arrangement has been contemplated in Technical Manual: Aerodynamik des Automobils, by Wolf-Heinrich Hucho, Vogel Publishers, Pages 246 and 247, Illustration 6.28. The front-end part that is represented by an apron has muff-shaped cooling-air inlet openings. A hose is connected to each opening forming an air-guiding channel directing air towards the brake of the adjacent wheel. This arrangement has the disadvantage that the mounting of the air-guiding channel is time-consuming because the hose, on one side, is connected with the apron and, on the other side, with a part of the chassis or the body. Also, additional fastening elements (hose clamps, screws, brackets and similar means) are required for attachment of the hose. In addition, this motor vehicle arrangement is open on the bottom side causing swirling of the air current flowing under the vehicle. This swirling increases the drag coefficient of the motor vehicle.
It is an objective of the invention to provide an air-guiding arrangement for the cooling of the brakes that is simple with respect to construction and mounting.
It is a further object to provide an aerodynamic device that when attached to a vehicle does not increase the drag coefficient of the vehicle.
These objectives are achieved according to preferred embodiments of the invention by providing a one-piece air-guidance device attached to the front portion of the vehicle. This device has air-guiding channels for cooling the brakes. This cooling apparatus is simple to construct and mount. By arranging air-guiding channels in a section of the front-end spoiler which forms an underfloor covering, the drag coefficient of the vehicle is reduced.
Further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken with the accompaying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, an embodiment in accordance with the present invention.